Fox's Blood
by Silent Runner16
Summary: I know I was born a kitty pet, but I feel that I belong out in the wilderness. I want my sisters to come with me. The three of us may be five moons old, but I know that we'll make it out there. Despite our strong bond, I don't know if they'll agree to leave with me. But whether they decide to join me or not, I am leaving... no matter how much it hurts to say goodbye.
1. Chapter 1

**_Notes:_**

This is story is inspired by Warriors written by Erin Hunter. All the characters are my own. I apologize that this first chapter isn't very long, but I will try to make longer chapters in the future.

* * *

_**Prologue**_

We've been together since I can remember. We were practically sisters. Well, _they_ were sisters, and I can't ever remember fighting with either of them. We lived with a nice couple of humans, and we were happy. Content. But one day, when the three of us were just five moons old, the most wondrous thing happened. We saw the outside. I knew from that moment that I was meant to be out there, among all those scents and whatever else lay waiting out there. I knew that I had to go. And I hoped with all my heart that my sisters would be by my side.

**Ch. 1**

I had it all planned out. Well, sort of. Really, we just had to wait for the right moment and act as quickly as possible. Now I just had to tell my sisters.

My dainty paws padded across the wood floor. The sunlight that shone through the window warmed my golden tabby pelt as I looked for Trixie. I jumped onto the top of the couch where her white, dark cream and black tabby form lay enjoying the sunlight. When I hopped up beside her, she opened her light green eyes and gazed at me. "Hey, Sigh." She greeted warmly with a smile. Returning her smile, I say, "Hi. I want to talk to you and Tweety together. Do you know where she is?" Before Trixie could answer I felt a weight land behind me. "I'm right here." A light voice announced. I turned to see Tweety's pure white pelt, her green eyes just like Trixie's. She smiled pleasantly at me.

I took a deep breath. "Well, since you're both here now, I'll just tell you now." I paused. "I want to leave. I mean, I _am_ leaving. Outside." I studied their faces. While Trixie's eyes were filled with wonder, Tweety's face held an unreadable expression. "Leaving? Outside?" Trixie asked in a quiet voice. I nodded. "Yes. I feel like… like that's where I belong." We were all quiet and I looked down at my paws. "I… I really want you two to come with me." I looked up and saw that they both had wide eyes on me. Trixie spoke first. "I… don't know. When were you planning to leave?" I gave a small smile. "Well, I was hoping tomorrow." As I answered, I noticed Tweety look away from me, casting a worried gaze at the ground. Trixie smiled excitedly at me and sat up. "It certainly sounds interesting. Mind if I sleep on it?" I laughed in relief, "Of course." I looked back at Tweety, who still hasn't said a single word. "Tweety? What about you?"

Her eyes quickly met mine. She shifted. "I don't know…" Trixie playfully batted Tweety on the ear. "Oh, come on! At least think about it." Tweety gave a weak smile. "Okay. I'll think about it." She still sounded unsure, but Trixie seemed to be satisfied. "Good!" she said with a big smile and she jumped down from the couch, leaving me with Tweety. We sat in silence for a couple heartbeats before she, too, jumped down from the couch while avoiding my blue-grey gaze. I sat there alone, staring out the window at what would be part of my new life, unable to do anything but hope with all my heart that I would not be leaving here alone.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2

I woke early the next morning, before the sun had risen in the sky and therefor before our humans had awakened. I quietly walked to my dish and lapped up some water. I needed to be ready to leave when the time came. Every morning one of our humans would wake up and leave the house for whatever reason and come back later in the day. When they open the door to leave, I will try to rush out before they can stop me.

I lifted my head and peered at the corner of the room where Tweety would sleep in a pink, cushiony nest. She dozed there now. Trixie, of course, preferred the chair by the window. I myself liked to sleep under the small table in the center of the room. I padded to the chair and gently leaped onto it. The sudden weight must have woke Trixie, because she opened her eyes. And rather widely, might I add. "You're not going _now_, are you?" I flicked her ear with my tail. "No. Not until the human leaves. Come on, let's wake Tweety."

When we made our way to Tweety's nest, she was comfortably curled around herself. Trixie tickled her sister's nose with her tail. Trixie was best at that since she had long fur while Tweety and I had short fur. Tweety wiggled her nose and opened her eyes. Yawning, she asked, "What? What is it?" No cat could be annoyed when Trixie woke them like that. I sat down. "I need to know your answers. Are you two coming with me?" Trixie suddenly looked as if she had been awake for hours, and her eyes were bright as she said with a smile, "You bet! Who's going to look after you if not us? Right, Tweety?"

Tweety remained silent, staring down at her nest. "Tweety?" she repeated, not so enthusiastically. Tweety looked up at Trixie, then looked at me. Looking into her green eyes, I knew before she said anything. "I'm not going" she said quietly. Trixie's mouth dropped open. "What? But Tweety, you _have_ to come with us!" Tweety shot a stern look at her sister as she stood. "No, I don't. It's my choice, and I want to stay here. You should, too. Both of you." I shook my head. "I can't stay. I _need_ to be out there. Please come with us." Tweety pinned her ears back as she hissed at me. "No! This is our home, and I'm not leaving!" I flinched back. We were all silent when Trixie went to her sister's side and licked her between the ears. "I love you, sis. I won't force you to leave. But I am going with Sigh" she said gently. Tweety lashed her tail but said nothing. After a couple heartbeats, she seemed to calm down, and her usually cheery voice was now sad and quiet as she said, "Fine." Without another word she lay back down in her nest and closed her eyes. Trixie and I glanced at each other before walking to our food dishes side by side. The human should be getting up soon, and he always fed us first thing. As we sat, we could here movement in the humans' sleeping place. I cleaned myself until the human finally came out, opened a small door, and pulled food out. He placed it in our bowls and went back into his room. Tweety suddenly appeared beside us and started eating from her dish. We all ate in silence. When the human came out again, I shook out my fur in anticipation. He began eating out of his own bowl when Tweety spoke. "Be careful. Don't ever leave each other alone." Trixie and I nodded, and I said, "Goodbye… sister."

The human stood, causing Trixie and I to quickly stand as well. "Get ready." I whispered. When the human opened the door wide, I yelled, "_Go!_" and ran past the human's legs out the door. I pelted off toward the woods. Thank goodness our yard didn't have a fence. I don't know if I could've jumped it at the time. I didn't look back to see if Trixie was following. I was afraid of seeing the human right behind me. When I finally reached the edge of the forest, I looked back, panting. Trixie rushed to my side, also breathing heavily. We looked at each other and ran into the woods side by side. We didn't stop until we could no longer see the house or hear the human calling for us. We both took deep breaths. That had been the run of our lives. When I caught my breath, I looked around. Everything was so big! Even some of the grass seemed to tower above us. Then again, we were only five moons old. _Perhaps when we get older, things won't seem so big._

Trixie smiled. "So, what do we do now?" I shuffled my paws. "Well… I hadn't really thought it out this far." I said, embarrassed. Trixie flicked her tail. "Maybe we should just explore a bit?" I smiled. "Yes! That sounds perfect!" So, side by side, we walked through the forest. We sniffed at all sorts of plants and played a game guessing what their names were. Trixie sniffed at a large, yellow flower. "This one is… ugh! A dirt flower!" she exclaimed, scrunching her nose. "Dirt flower?" I asked as I stooped down and sniffed it. I quickly stood back up. "Woo! You're right!" We thought the name was so silly, we laughed out loud. "Actually, it's called Skunk Cabbage."

We immediately stopped laughing when we heard the voice behind us. I spun around to see two cats. "And they're good for sores and swelling" the slender, black she-cat continued. Trixie and I shrunk back, pressing our sides together. The she-cat smiled while the large, brown tom that stood beside her stared at us, his yellow eyes full of suspicion. "What are you kits doing here?" he asked. Trixie, her eyes wide, simply shook her head as if she didn't understand the question. I remain quiet, my own eyes feeling as if they're bulging out of my skull. The tom sighed, furrowing his brow, and bent to sniff us. I shut my eyes in fear and heard Trixie squeak. "They smell like kitty pets" he growled. _Kitty pets?_ "If by that you mean we smell bad, it's probably because of that Skunk Whatever." Trixie said shakily. The she-cat _mrrrowed_ a laugh, and I opened my eyes. The tom's gaze was hard on us, so I focused on the smiling she-cat. "It means you smell like you lived with Two Legs" she told us in a kind voice. I swallowed, asking, "What are Two Legs?" The tom growled again and I pressed my side harder against Trixie's. Instead of answering my question, she asked, "Do you know where you are?" Trixie and I shook our heads unanimously. The tom stood straighter. "You're in ThunderClan territory."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Notes:**_

This chapter is shorter than the last, but I wanted to stop it there for now. Besides, at least it's longer than the first chapter.

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Ch. 3

"ThunderClan territory?" Trixie asked, the fear in her eyes replaced by interest. The tom nodded. "Yes. The strongest of the clans surrounding the lake." I noticed a hint of a smile as he spoke highly of his clan. I relaxed and realized that I wanted to learn more about these clans. But before I could ask anything, Trixie asked a question of her own. "There's more than one clan? How many are there?" she asked in wonder, no longer cowering but instead leaning toward the strange cats. "There are four clans. ThunderClan, WindClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan" the black she-cat answered. The brown tom looked at his companion. "How much should we be telling them?" he asked in a low voice, sounding more like a warning than a question. The she-cat rolled her eyes. "I very much doubt these kits would cause us harm." Before he could say anything more, she returned her dark green gaze to us. "What are your names, little ones?"

I opened my mouth to answer her, but of course Trixie got to it first. "I'm Trixie. And this is Sigh" she said, flicking her tail at me. I smiled shyly and nodded a greeting. The tom snorted, but Trixie seemed to ignore it. "Who are you?" The she-cat bowed her head slightly. "I am Ravenwing, and this is Stoneclaw." Stoneclaw grunted. "Now that we've exchanged pleasantries, I must tell you to leave our-"

Ravenwing interrupted him. "Now hold on", she said, flicking his ear with her tail. "I have a few more questions for them." The tom growled but said nothing. Looking down at us, Ravenwing asked, "Where are you from?" I was finally able to say something. "We lived in a house somewhere over…" I looked around. "Well, over _some_where. I don't really know which direction we came from." The she-cat twitched her whiskers in amusement. "Ah, so you can speak?" I lower my head a little in embarrassment when she continued. "So you did live with Two Legs, but not anymore. How long have you been away from them?"

Trixie tilted her head. "I don't know. Less than a day." Stoneclaw lashed his tail. "Ravenwing, why bother asking them these things? None of that matters. They are intruders and must be treated as such." Ravenwing shot him a seemingly silencing look. "They are also kits, and should be treated as such." Her gaze softened on the tom. "My duty as a medicine cat is to help those in need. These kits," she glanced at us, "are all alone. And I'll bet anything that they have no experience in hunting." Trixie and I were silent, watching the two clan cats with wide eyes. Ravenwing continued. "We must take them back with us. They won't survive, otherwise." Stoneclaw lowered his head. "But… they're kitty pets" he argued, though it was clear that he was wearing down. Ravenwing rested her tail on his shoulder. "They are kits. Kitty pet or no, they deserve a chance." Stoneclaw looked down at us before hanging his head in defeat and sighing. "Fine. But remember, Ravenwing, this is _your_ idea." Ravenwing smiled in triumph. "I will claim all responsibility." The two stood, and Ravenwing looked down at us. "Come with us. We are going to take you to our camp." Stoneclaw nodded hesitantly. "Let's go."

Trixie and I followed the two cats, walking quickly to keep up. I looked over at Trixie, who seemed to be taking in our surroundings. I looked forward again, and heard Stoneclaw speaking to Ravenwing. "I hope you weren't in desperate need of herbs. After this, I don't think we'll have much time to search for them today." Ravenwing flicked his side with her tail. "That's alright, there's always tomorrow. And I _know_ how much you _love_ long treks through the forest, failing to recognize herbs that I ask you to get for me." He smiled. "Thanks, you just crushed my secret dreams of being a medicine cat." The she-cat laughed and shook her head. The rest of the walk was quiet except for the sounds of birds calling and what I think were mice scrabbling around the forest floor.

We arrived at a thorn barrier with a single entryway. The two forest cats slipped inside. I paused, looking up at the barrier. Trixie was about to walk in when she stopped and looked back at me. "Are you coming, Sigh?" I looked past her. I opened my mouth, and I could smell a lot of cats back there. I closed my mouth and looked uncertainly at my sister. Seeing her excited green eyes, I took a deep breath. Side by side, we walked through the opening in the thorn wall. I didn't know it then, but that moment I decided to walk into the camp would change our lives forever.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Notes:**_

I'd like to thank everyone who suggested characters for my story. I'm sorry if I chose not to use your character. It is possible that, if I didn't use your character, that I will use them at a later date.

Twilightlifemain- Thank you for liking my story :) I do hope I am able to keep up with this one

* * *

Ch. 4

I almost gasped out loud when we entered the camp. I had never seen so many cats in one place! There were a few different dens around the clearing and a tall ledge of stone with what looked like a small den on top. All of this was fascinating, but what really drew my gaze was the pile of prey. I hadn't realized that there could be so many animals in the forest. The pile consisted of mice, birds, rabbits, and a creature or two that I didn't recognize. "Who are they?"

I turned to see a dark brown tabby she-cat staring at us with her amber eyes. Stoneclaw and Ravenwing stopped. "These are kits we found in the forest. For now, they will stay in the nursery until Willowstar says otherwise." As Ravenwing gave a short explanation, Stoneclaw simply looked ahead. Ravenwing turned to him. "I can take them the rest of the way and watch them. You go tell Willowstar." The tom nodded and walked quickly to the stone ledge. Ravenwing flicked her tail to tell us to follow her. As we walked, it seemed that every pair of eyes were glued to us. I lowered my head while Trixie gazed back at them curiously. I rolled my eyes at her. Sometimes she just didn't seem to see the situation for what it was.

When we entered the nursery, there were two she-cats were lying in separate nests. Ravenwing led us to an empty nest. "You two can rest in this one." I nodded and stepped into the nest. Trixie jumped in beside me, a smile on her face. Ravenwing looked down at us and said, "Please try to stay quiet and speak softly. We don't want to disturb the queens or their kits." It was then that I noticed a small, white queen eyeing us with suspicion. The other queen, who was pale red, simply glanced at us.

Ravenwing inspected the queens carefully with a trained eye before turning back to us. "I may as well introduce them to you. That", she said, flicking her tail at the pale red queen, "is Poppypetal. Her kit's name is Sunkit." At the mention of his name, the golden kit shot his head up and looked over at us, his amber eyes bright. "Who are they?" he asked, hopping out of his nest before his mother could stop him. As he walked up to us, a squeak came from the other queen's nest. Ravenwing ignored Sunkit's question and continued. "The white queen is Snowfall. Her kits are Lightkit and Longkit." The two kits looked out from their nest as Snowfall glared at us. Ravenwing seemed unruffled by the queen's expression as she simply curled her tail around her paws.

"Well? Who are you?" Sunkit asked. He stood right in front of me, and I felt a light fluttering in my chest. I shyly smiled and wanted to answer but I felt it hard to speak. Thankfully, Trixie spoke for me. Stepping forward she said, "I'm Trixie! And this is my sister, Sigh." Sunkit looked at us quizzically. "Those are strange names." He quickly added, "No offense." Trixie snorted. "Well, your name is pretty weird." Sunkit frowned. "No it's not" he retorted, puffing out his chest. "In fact, Swiftfur told me that the ShadowClan leader has the same name!" My sister smiled. "Alright. I guess around here your name isn't weird." Sunkit smiled back at her when Stoneclaw entered with a light brown tabby she-cat.

The she-cat looked down at us with an unreadable face. "I am Willowstar. May I ask who you kits are?" Sunkit stood beside us. "Their names are Trixie and Sigh!" he said excitedly. A look from Willowstar quieted the golden kit. Her gaze returning to us, she said, "You see, lately ThunderClan has been low on apprentices and kits. Though Sunkit will be apprenticed in a moon, we need more." I tilted my head, wondering where she was going with this. "If it had not been for this need, I may not have even considered asking you this." Every cat in the nursery looked at her expectantly. "Will you join our Clan?" All was silent as I let her words sink in. _Join the Clan? _I looked at Trixie and we locked eyes. We could tell what the other was thinking. Looking up at the clan leader, we said at the same time, "Yes."

We spent the rest of the day talking to Sunkit, Ravenwing, and Poppypetal. Some cats would look in at us, curious about the two kits that had been brought into the clan. When the sun was going down, there was a yowl from outside. Trixie and I ran to the entryway of the nursery and looked out. Willowstar was on top of the ledge, saying, "Let all those cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting." As cats gathered, Ravenwing flicked her tail for us to follow her. We walked to the front of the group of cats and sat down. When the cats had settled, Willowstar spoke. "You may have heard about two kits that arrived at our camp this morning." There were murmurs among the cats. "I have asked them to join the Clan, and they accepted."

There were some growls of disagreement as most of the cats looked at us. All I wanted to do was curl up and disappear, but I straightened my back and held my head a little higher. Trixie seemed to follow suit, though her confidence looked real. Willowstar continued. "And so they shall be given Clan names. Step forward." Trixie took confident steps. I walked a little more slowly, and I felt like I was shaking. "Trixie. From this day forward, until you are apprenticed, you will be called Leafkit." My sister blinked in gratitude and walked back to Ravenwing's side. "Sigh." I looked up. "From this day forward, until you are apprenticed, you will be called Silentkit." I bowed my head slightly and walked over to my sister, trying not to stumble over my paws. Addressing all the cats, Willowstar said, "I ask that you accept our new Clan members. Poppypetal, do you mind looking after them?" Poppypetal stood. "Not at all, Willowstar. I will care for them as if they were my own." Willowstar smiled. "Thank you, I am glad to hear that. That will be all." She jumped down from the Highledge and the other cats nodded at us before dispersing.

Back in the nursery, Sunkit happily greeted us with our new names. "I'm surprised they let us in so easily." I told him. Sunkit sat down. "That's because most of them understand how much we need apprentices. Besides, this isn't exactly the first time ThunderClan has accepted outsiders." I looked at him questioningly and he shook his head, saying, "Never mind. It doesn't really matter."

Leafkit brushed against my side. "How's it feel to be a Clan cat, _Silentkit_?" I smiled at her. "I rather like it so far, _Leafkit_."

* * *

ThunderClan

_**Leader:**_ Willowstar- Light brown tabby she-cat with white chest, dark markings and blue eyes.

_**Deputy:**_ Coldfang- Bluish grey tom with pale yellow eyes.

Apprentice- Snakepaw

_**Medicine Cat:**_ Ravenwing- Slender, black she-cat with dark green eyes.

_**Warriors:**_

Stoneclaw- Large, plain brown tom with yellow eyes. Snowfall's mate (Father of Lightkit and Longkit)

Rushfoot- Light grey tabby she-cat with blue eyes. Branchtail's mate (Mother of Snakepaw)

Swiftfur- Golden tom with green eyes. Poppypetal's mate (Father of Sunkit)

Branchtail- Dark brown tabby tom with green eyes. Rushfoot's mate (Father of Snakepaw)

Mapleleaf- Dark red she-cat with grey eyes.

Applefeather- Long limbed, light golden tom with black tipped ears, white muzzle, and bright green eyes.

_**Apprentices:**_

Snakepaw- Dark brown tabby she-cat with white paws and amber eyes. Mentor is Coldfang. (Daughter of Branchtail and Rushfoot.)

_**Queens:**_

Poppypetal- Pale red she-cat with amber eyes. Swiftfur's mate (Mother of Sunkit)

Snowfall- White she-cat with amber eyes. Stoneclaw's mate (Mother of Lightkit and Longkit)

_**Kits:**_

Sunkit- Golden tom with amber eyes. (Son of Poppypetal and Swiftfur.)

Lightkit- White she-cat with brown patches and yellow eyes. (Daughter of Snowfall and Stoneclaw)

Longkit- White tom with long legs and amber eyes. (Son of Snowfall and Stoneclaw)

Leafkit- White, dark cream and black tabby she-cat with light green eyes. (Born a kittypet)

Silentkit- Golden tabby she-cat with blue-grey eyes. (Born a kittypet)

* * *

ShadowClan

_**Leader:**_ Sunstar- Golden she-cat with hazel eyes.

_**Deputy:**_ Moonshade- Beautiful black smoke she-cat with pale blue eyes.

_**Medicine Cat:**_ Frogleap- Light brown tabby tom with amber eyes. (Volepelt's brother)

_**Warriors:**_

Splashfur- Light grey she-cat with green-blue eyes.

Darkfog- Dark grey tom with amber eyes. Marshfur's mate.

Frostfeather- White she-cat with yellow eyes.

Apprentice- Shadepaw

Volepelt- Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes. (Frogleap's brother)

Apprentice- Duskpaw

Marshfur- Tortoiseshell she-cat with brown eyes. Darkfog's mate.

Silverstorm- Silver tabby tom with amber eyes.

_**Apprentices:**_

Shadepaw- Black she-cat with fox like tail, white tail tip and blue eyes. Mentor is Frostfeather. (Duskpaw's sister, no parents)

Duskpaw- Dark grey tabby tom with blue eyes. Mentor is Volepelt. (Shadepaw's brother, no parents)

_**Queens:**_

None.

_**Kits:**_

None.

* * *

RiverClan

_**Leader: **_Lashstar- Light cream tabby tom with amber eyes. Fernpelt's mate. (Father of Lakepaw)

_**Deputy: **_Stripetail- White she-cat with prominent black stripes on tail and blue eyes.

_**Medicine Cat: **_Turtlepelt- Calico she-cat with amber eyes.

_**Warriors:**_

Reedtail- Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes. Iceclaw's mate (Father of Smallkit and Poolkit)

Nightclaw- Black tom with yellow eyes.

Apprentice- Pebblepaw

Fernpelt- Light brown tabby she-cat with green eyes. Lashstar's mate. (Mother of Lakepaw)

Adderstrike- Light brown tabby tom with yellow eyes.

Apprentice- Lakepaw

Fogfur- Dark grey tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

_**Apprentices:**_

Lakepaw- Light cream tabby tom with green eyes. Mentor is Adderstrike. (Son of Lashstar and Fernpelt.)

Pebblepaw- Tortoiseshell she-cat with yellow eyes. Mentor is Nightclaw. (No parents)

_**Queens:**_

Iceclaw- Silver she-cat with yellow eyes. Reedtail's mate. (Mother of Smallkit and Poolkit)

_**Kits:**_

Smallkit- Small grey tom with amber eyes. (Son of Iceclaw and Reedtail)

Poolkit- Silver she-cat with amber eyes. (Daughter of Iceclaw and Reedtail)

* * *

WindClan

_**Leader:**_ Flurrystar- White and grey tabby tom with yellow eyes. (Narrowtail's brother)

_**Deputy:**_ Dustcloud- Reddish brown she-cat with green eyes. (Brushfur's sister)

_**Medicine Cat: **_Greycloud- Grey she-cat with amber eyes.

_**Warriors:**_

Brushfur- Light brown tom with dark brown speckles and green eyes. (Dustcloud's brother)

Apprentice- Shadowpaw

Sparrowclaw- Small, brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes.

Archfur- Cream tabby tom with brown eyes. Dawnpelt's mate.

Narrowtail- Slim white she-cat with yellow eyes. (Flurrystar's sister)

Hollynose- Red tabby she-cat with green eyes. (Mother of Shadowpaw)

Cleverheart- White tom with blue eyes. Summerbreeze's mate.

_**Apprentices:**_

Shadowpaw- Black she-cat with yellow eyes. Mentor is Brushfur. (Daughter of Hollynose)

_**Queens:**_

Dawnpelt- Dark grey she-cat with amber eyes. Archfur's mate. (Mother of Moonkit and Wheatkit)

Summerbreeze- Golden tabby she-cat with grey eyes. Cleverheart's mate. (Pregnant)

_**Kits:**_

Moonkit- Silver tabby she-cat with amber eyes. (Daughter of Dawnpelt and Archfur)

Wheatkit- Cream tabby tom with amber eyes. (Son of Dawnpelt and Archfur)


	5. Chapter 5

_**Notes:**_

Sorry if this chapter is kind of boring. But if they were all action packed or filled with suspense it wouldn't be a very good story, would it? _Would it?_ ...okay, it probably would.

* * *

Ch. 5

It has been a moon since Leafkit and I became members of ThunderClan. And during that moon, Sunkit taught us everything there is to know about Clan life, with Poppypetal helping him explain when we didn't understand. Though StarClan was interesting, what I enjoyed learning about most was the Warrior Code. As long as you followed the Warrior Code, you could be a brave and loyal warrior of your Clan. Over and over, day and night, I would ask Sunkit to recite the Warrior Code for me. One day he sighed. "Silentkit, you should know the code by heart by now. Do you really need me to say it _again_?" I furrowed my brows in thought and found that I _did_ know it. So, every night when everyone was in their nests, I would lie awake and silently recite it in my mind. Doing so always calmed me into sleep.

Then the day of our apprentice ceremony had dawned. Sunkit, Leafkit and I had finally turned six moons. Poppypetal had gotten hold of Leafkit first and was grooming her nose to tail tip. "Poppypetal!" she groaned, squirming away. "I'm clean, okay?" Sunkit and I smirked at each other. Suddenly Sunkit's eyes widened and he quickly scurried to the farther side of the nursery. I stared at him, confused, when Poppypetal got a hold of me. I frowned, but remained silent as she groomed me. When I was finally free, I ran out of the den and sat beside Leafkit, watching the rest of the Clan bustle about. When I heard growling behind me, I knew that Poppypetal had caught Sunkit. Leafkit and I looked at each other and giggled. As we did so, Lightkit and Longkit padded past us, casting envious glances our way. The siblings were only a moon younger than us, but they were growing impatient now that our day had come.

Sunkit appeared by my side, licking his chest fur. "I wonder who our mentors will be." Leafkit said. I nodded and kneaded the ground anxiously. Really, I was fine with any warrior being my mentor as long as it wasn't Branchtail. He was Snakepaw's father, and they acted very much alike. And, unfortunately, not in a good way. Snakepaw would glare at Leafkit and I and shove us to the side whenever she passed. Branchtail would glare at us as well, but tried to stay far away from us. When we were near, he would regard us coldly if at all. Her mother, Rushfoot, didn't seem to mind us that much, so she had to get it from her father.

Sunkit was shaking slightly. "I hope I get Swiftfur! Or Applefeather!" His whiskers quivered with excitement. It was then that Willowstar stood atop the High Ledge and spoke, her voice full of authority. "Let all those cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting." Our clan mates quickly huddled beneath the High Ledge. Poppypetal led the three of us to the front of the group, and I got a case of déjà vu. The cats around us chittered in excitement. Willowstar lifted her tail, silencing them, and began. "It is time for an Apprentice Ceremony. Today, three kits will become apprentices of ThunderClan." She looked down at us. "I ask that Sunkit, Silentkit, and Leafkit step forward." Sunkit walked quickly while Leafkit and I walked with patience. Unlike the last time we had to stand in front of the whole Clan, I felt confident as I stopped beside my sister.

Willowstar turned her gaze directly onto Sunkit. "Sunkit, until you earn your warrior name, you shall be called Sunpaw. Your mentor will be Rushfoot." A light grey tabby she-cat stood in the crowd. "Rushfoot, you taught Snowfall well. She has become a strong and patient warrior of ThunderClan, and I hope that you can do the same for Sunpaw." Rushfoot nodded and walked to Sunpaw's side. They touched noses and sat off to the side. "Silentkit, until you earn your warrior name, you shall be called Silentpaw. Your mentor will be Applefeather." I turned my head to see a young, golden warrior stand. "Applefeather, your mentor, Stoneclaw, taught you to be brave and clever. I hope you can pass these traits on to Silentpaw." Applefeather nodded. His long legs strode toward me, and when he was by my side I realized how tall he was. He smiled down at me and we touched noses. We then walked over to where Sunpaw and Rushfoot sat. "Leafkit, until you earn your warrior name, you shall be called Leafpaw. Your mentor will be Mapleleaf." A dark red she-cat stood rigidly, and I noticed my mentor sit a little straighter. "Branchtail taught you to be swift and to observe your surroundings carefully. I hope that you will pass these traits onto Leafpaw." Mapleleaf nodded and took graceful steps to my sister and touched noses with her.

The rest of the Clan began shouting our new names and crowding around us. Even Longkit and Lightkit congratulated us, though Lightkit seemed to be doing it a bit grudgingly. Branchtail and Snakepaw only shouted Sunpaw's name. Branchtail congratulated Mapleleaf, pride clear on his face. And he wasn't the only one. I turned to look at my mentor, but he was gone from my side. I spun around and I saw him sitting by Mapleleaf. He catches my gaze and beckons me over with his tail before turning his attention back to Mapleleaf. I don't think he even noticed when I sat in front of him beside Leafpaw. Then Mapleleaf turns to me. "Would you like to come with Leafpaw and I to see ThunderClan's borders?" I nod excitedly as Leafpaw nudges me with her shoulder.

Our smiling mentors lead the way out of camp, chatting along the way. Leafpaw and I follow with quick steps but are careful not to walk in front of the older cats. Leafpaw came close to my side and whispered, "I hope we get to be mentors someday." I nod and whisper back, "And when we are, we could have our apprentices train together." We smiled at each other when Applefeather spoke to us over his shoulder. "Your first day as apprentices and you're already thinking about becoming mentors? Kits these days", he says with a smile. Mapleleaf flicks him playfully with her tail. "We were like that just three moons ago!" Leafpaw, head held high and chest puffed out, adds "And we're not kits!"

We suddenly stop and Applefeather turns to me. "What do you smell?" I squinted my eyes and opened my mouth, letting the scents of the area flood my senses. It takes me a moment to identify the scents that stands out most to me. "Vole, mouse…rabbit?" Applefeather nods. "What else?" There was a strange smell that I couldn't place, and it wasn't pleasant. It was slightly similar to crow-food, but I didn't mention that. Instead I said, "I… I don't know what it is. I've never smelled it before." Applefeather nodded again, saying, "I wouldn't expect you to. We are near ShadowClan's border. You must be able to recognize each Clan's scent, so remember it." I nodded. When I looked over my shoulder, I noticed that Mapleleaf and Leafpaw were going a different way. I was a little disappointed that I couldn't spend the rest of the day with Leafpaw, but I understood that our mentors might want to teach us on their own.

Applefeather and I continued on to the edge of the lake, where we stopped for a drink. "Applefeather, can I sit on the half-bridge?" He gazed at the half-bridge and said, "Alright, but be careful. And don't sit too close to the edge." I nodded and ran to the half-bridge, but the moment my paws were on the wood I slowed to a walk, remembering Applefeather's caution. I couldn't believe how big the lake was. I was mesmerized by the water's surface as it sparkled in the sunlight.

I sat down and curled my tail over my paws, looking out over the lake. It was so calm. So peaceful. It was then that I caught a strange scent. At first I didn't recognize it, but I soon realized that I had just learned about it. Swiveling my head toward the ShadowClan border, I see two forms moving toward the thunder-path that separated our territories, one white and one black. I stay where I am. I doubted that they would cross the border, but I couldn't help tensing at their presence. Unless the black one was just a really small cat, it looked like a mentor and apprentice.

I watched the black cat sniff the thunder-path curiously, and I flinched when her gaze met mine. She had blue eyes that looked as deep as the lake, and I noticed there was white on the tip of her bushy tail. As we stared each other down, her fur began to fluff up. I hadn't noticed that mine was doing the same until Applefeather suddenly appeared at my side. "What's the matter?" I jumped back in surprise, my hind paws at the edge of the half-bridge. Instead of waiting for my answer, he looked for himself and immediately said, "Come on. I still have to show you the rest of our borders." And with that he trotted away. I looked back at the ShadowClan cats. The mentor was shooting me a glare that chilled my bones. I quickly stood and ran after Applefeather to catch up. I heard laughing behind us as we padded away.

By the time we got back, the sun just beginning its descent in the west. I spotted Sunpaw and Leafpaw eating some fresh-kill by the Apprentices den. Picking up a robin from the fresh-kill pile, I joined them, sitting down beside Leafpaw. I told them about the ShadowClan apprentice and mentor I had seen, and they began talking about what they would have done if it were them who had seen them. "I would've ran right over to the border and told them to stay away from ThunderClan territory!" Sunpaw said, puffing out his chest. Leafpaw rolled her eyes. "I would've stayed there and watched until they left to make sure they didn't sneak over." I lowered my head and sighed. "Well, sorry. I thought it was best to listen to Applefeather." I felt Leafpaw flick my side with her tail. "We didn't mean you should've done anything different", she said gently. I lifted my gaze. "I know. It's just the way you two talk about it makes me feel like a coward."

Sunpaw stood quickly, saying, "You're not a coward! If that had happened to me and Rushfoot said we should go, I would've followed her. Same as you." Leafpaw nodded. I grinned at them and said, "But when we're warriors, they'd better watch out!"


End file.
